Lemon Glaze Sponge Cake

I decided to embark on this cake to mark the occasion of a colleague leaving work.  It is difficult to decide what kind of cake to make, if any, when baking for someone with a nut allergy.  It is not as thought every cake I bake contains nuts, but sometimes the ingredients themselves do...and that can lead to awkward moments and pangs of guilt....

So I played it safe with a lemon sponge.

I gather the ingredients from the cupboards.  The usual; eggs, flour, sugar and butter...I prepare my workstation and then I remember.....I've just moved house and I don't actually own my own set of scales.  I have, dear reader, always relied on the scales of a flatmate or relative.  How embarrassing.  I'm not fond of guessing weights when it comes to cake baking because it can be disastrous, but on this occasion, I have no choice.

Upon tasting the finished cake, the following day at work, I realised that what I had actually created was a sort of ultra moist Madeira Cake - I'm not complaining, it was lush.

Unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures before the cake was completely and utterly demolished.

Ingredients
4oz golden caster sugar
2oz light brown soft sugar
6oz unsalted butter
3 medium eggs
6oz self raising flour, sifted (or premium self-raising sponge flour)
2 tbsp golden syrup
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1/2 lemon

Glaze
2oz light brown soft sugar
juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons

Method
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4. Grease the base and sides of a 23" round clip cake tin.

Cream together the butter and two types of sugar for 5 minutes.

Break the eggs into a seperate bowl and whisk lightly.

Slowly add the eggs to the butter / sugar mixture, a little at a time, mixing the ingredients together until combined.  Don't worry if there are any little lumps, these will work their way out in the oven.

Sieve the flour into the mixture, a little at a time, gently folding it in.  Use a spatula to get to the edges of the bowl as flour has a habit of creating little pockets in cake mixtures.

Add the Golden Syrup, lemon juice and lemon zest and gently stir in.  Try not to knock too much air out.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and pop it into the oven, on a middle/top shelf, for 35-45 mins until golden brown.  If the cake wobbles when you remove it from the oven then put it back in for 5-10 minutes until a skewer inserted into middle of cake, comes out clean.

As soon as the cake is finished in the oven, place it on a cooling rack, but leave it inside the tin.

Skewer holes all over the cake.  In a small bowl mix togther the glaze ingredients and then pour or brush them over the surface of the cake, whilst it is still hot.  This glaze will fall down the holes and make the cake deliciously moist.

leave the cake to cool completely in the tin before serving
Delicious with natural yogurt 

Katie  xx